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Historic church destroyed in fire

The fire department says they don't know what caused the 102-year-old church in Bogalusa to burn to the ground early Sunday morning.

Historic church destroyed in fire

Updated: 12:20 AM CST Dec 17, 2012

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BOGALUSA, La. —

A historic church in Bogalusa was destroyed in a fire early Sunday.

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Firefighters said Bethlehem Baptist Church on East 7th Street caught on fire about 4 a.m. Sunday. The three-alarm fire destroyed what was the oldest African American church in the city.

"We've got a lot of history here. There's a lot of history at this church," Pastor Christopher Matthews said.

The church was founded 102 years ago in the Old Mills Quarters before moving to its current location in 1958 and being rebuilt in the 1960s.

"It's very devastating. We're all still in a state of shock, because it's one of the oldest black churches here in the community. With the purpose it has served, it's just hard to see all the history and where it's come from," parishioner Glennis McKephin said.

Matthews said it's too early to talk about rebuilding and that the congregation of 250 people would focus on taking time to heal.

"I shared with the congregation this past Friday night about trust in God, and we would have never known that this was coming, but we're trusting in God," he said.

Bogalusa Fire Department officials said the cause of the fire was under investigation.